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THE title The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude sums up
the spirit of the Paris Opera Ballet's gala in Sydney in June.

The ballet by William Forsythe, which will open the second half
of the program, is a contemporary, thrill-a-minute technical feat
that also refers to the exactitude of ballet's past.

For the gala at the Opera House on June 13, Brigitte Lefevre,
the artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, has chosen seven
works from the company's repertoire.

The program, announced in Sydney yesterday, includes the grand
pas from Petipa's Paquita, an extract from act three of
Swan Lake, with Odile, Siegfried and the villain, Rothbart,
a pas de deux from John Neumeier's 20th-century story ballet La
Dame Aux Camelias and The Vertiginous Thrill of
Exactitude.

There will also be a pas de deux from George Balanchine's
Sonatine, a solo from Massine's Le Tricorne, and a
final pas de deux from Roland Petit's L'Arlesienne.

Speaking from Paris earlier this month, Lefevre said the program
was "representative of the Paris Opera Ballet's repertoire, which
is very, very large".

Among the 17 dancers in the gala are 10 "etoiles", as the
highest rank is known, including Manuel Legris, Nicolas Le Riche
and Jose Martinez. Legris will dance with Aurelie Dupont in
Sonatine, Le Riche will dance with Delphine Moussin in
L'Arlesienne and Martinez will dance the Le Tricorne
solo.

Representing the company at yesterday's gala launch at the
Sydney Opera House were Karl Paquette and Emilie Cozette. One rank
below etoile, they will both dance in the company's main season,
following the gala, at the Capitol Theatre. Both will dance solo
roles in Balanchine's Jewels and in Swan Lake, with
Cozette in the role of Odette/Odile and Paquette as Rothbart.

"Karl and Emilie represent the company very well," said Lefevre.
"They both attended the entire school dance program, they know all
the ballet techniques and they get to interpret major roles. They
are very, very good dancers who, I think, are very smart and
generous."

Unlike many major ballet companies, the Paris Opera Ballet is
almost a one-nation troupe. Only three of the 93 dancers coming to
Australia are not French, and almost all the company members
trained from an early age at the Paris Opera Ballet school.

Paquette joined the school aged 10, having earlier trained in
Paris with the teacher Max Bozzoni who told him: "If you want to
come here you want to be a dancer at Paris Opera. I don't teach
anyone else."

Although he often plays the bad guy in ballets, such as Rothbart
in Swan Lake and the jealous Hilarion in Giselle,
Paquette, 30, also dances the prince roles, such as Romeo. The
highlight of his career was his debut 18 months ago as Romeo in the
Nureyev production of Romeo and Juliet.

"I was not expecting to do it in my life," he said. "One month
into the rehearsal I say, 'I can't do it', but then one day it
happened. After the first performance I said, 'That's the greatest
experience I have had and maybe the hardest ever'.

"Afterwards, I learnt Nureyev wanted it specifically very hard.
He thought it is only when you are so tired that the real emotion
comes, and it's true."

Like Paquette, Cozette knew her future when she was a child. "I
remember that when I was nine, I wanted to become either a pianist
or a dancer. I loved playing the piano but I chose dance."

Now 25, she entered the Paris Opera Ballet School at 12. She
reached a peak of her career last year when she debuted as
Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the role she will reprise in
Sydney.

Tickets (from $80 to $395) for the gala go on sale on Monday.
Bookings, 9250 7777 or sydneyoperahouse.com.

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writes Valerie Lawson.EntertainmentArtshttp://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/29/ballet30307_wideweb__470x342,0.jpg

Glittering performers &#133; members of the Paris Opera Ballet in a
scene from one of the works the company will perform in Sydney in
June.